The Book of Hidden Doorways
by Percival T. Honeybee
Summary: A door can be locked, but there's always a key. With the dark book, they are finally free. Though darkness has plans to swallow the light, together two heroes can put up a fight. A friend in a shadow they think they can find, but does this sly shadow have something in mind?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - The Solution

* * *

><p>This story contains things that may not be known. Read on if you desire the secrets to be shown. (In other words, spoilers.)<p>

* * *

><p>You haven't felt the true meaning of fear until you've met a giant spider. Of course, I would've been feeling a lot less fearful if my odds were better—my best weapon was a spear that I threw together five minutes ago. Or then again, maybe not, because even when I see normal spiders I tend to have a heart attack.<p>

The mother of all spiders stood only a stone-throw away from me, and was steadily advancing. She raised her claw-like appendages and hissed at me, which I assumed translated as _kill the scientist_. Her body was a moving boulder that was covered in webs. A horde of smaller spiders followed in her wake, each of them at least as big as me. Every so often she would excrete another, adding to the angry mess. I readjusted my sweaty hands on my spear and thought about my options.

My odds were terrible; my forms of defense were a suit made from logs and a shoddy weapon. Other than that, all I had on me were arts and crafts materials and some carrots. I hadn't planned on incurring the wrath of the spider queen on my expedition for supplies.

No, fighting was definitely out, unless spiders had a secret weakness to carrots. I would have to outrun them, which would be easy enough since the giant spider was having a hard time keeping up. The queen was following me at a steady pace, seemingly unable to run.

_Let's see, I could go around the swamp and go back to my camp, but that would mean the spiders would follow me there. What if—wait, what was that?_

Next to the lagging spiders by the edge of the trees, I saw flash of pink and yellow. It was only a flicker, but it was enough to distract me—there was nothing here that had Easter pastel colors, or at least nothing I had encountered yet.

_What in the name of science could—_

A crushing pain in my arm sent my thoughts screeching to a halt. One of the smaller spiders had taken advantage of my daze and had bitten down on my arm, which was protected in my wood armor but still in the spider's vice-like jaw. The wood cracked as the spider forced its fangs deeper.

I cried out and hit the spider with the point of my spear, stabbing it a few times for good measure.

"Nasty buggers." I breathed, cradling my injured arm.

I readied my spear again, preparing to take on whatever came close, but to my surprise there were no other spiders coming to attack me. The entire spider horde was going in a different direction, toward the trees where I saw the glimpse of pastel.

"What's wrong? Am I not good enough to eat?" I called at them. Even as I said it, my shoulders slumped with relief. Spiders were easily distracted, and I was saved if they started fighting another beast.

The forest rustled as creatures ran through its branches, making it look like a chaotic sea of living trees. Spiders surged through one end of the tree clump, appearing to be driving something out. The thing they were chasing fled through the pines, nothing more than a pink blur, exiting on the other side of the forest. Now that nothing was blocking my view, I could clearly see what was scampering away.

I sucked in a breath and choked; the creature wasn't a creature at all—it was a little girl.

"How?" The word came out as a whisper.

I'd spent a summer and winter in this inhospitable world, convinced that the only other humans here were the dead ones. How had she come here? Who was she? What quarrel did Maxwell have with a child?

The girl stumbled and fell just after leaving the cover of the trees. The spiders were not too far behind, and they would reach her within seconds. She was only a few feet away from the edge of the swamp, where resided dangerous beasts of all kind, ready to kill the unsuspecting traveler.

An idea pieced itself together in my mind. It would be risky, but not impossibly so.

_Sounds like a plan._ I smiled dryly. My methods were nothing, if not drastic.

Ignoring the pain in my arm, I sprinted to where the girl was trying to recover from her fall. A few spiders noticed me and tried to take another munch, but this time I was ready for them. It only took around three hits to kill one, so if I attacked them one at a time then I wouldn't have a problem. I just had to grab the girl and go before the swarm hit.

Now close enough to touch her, I spoke up.

"Little girl, come with me if you don't want to be spider food."

The girl looked up, blue eyes assessing me. She didn't look nearly as frightened as she should be—in fact, her demeanor was placid compared to mine, as if the whole business of falling and being eaten by spiders was merely an inconvenience. A stray thorn bush was wrapped around her ankle and tangled in her skirt.

I tore the bush branches, freeing the girl but leaving twigs attached to her skirt. Well, it was no time to be picky. Gently grabbing her delicate hand, I helped her up.

"Hurry now, those spiders are right on our tail." I gave a tug and tried to pull her along, but it was like trying to move a sack of potatoes. With her heels digging into the ground, the girl kept looking up at me, then at the swamp before us, her brow furrowed with worry. I managed to get her to the edge of the swamp, but just before we stepped over the boundary she pulled back on my hand.

"Sir, I'm not sure that's the best idea. We'll surely find more enemies in the swamp." She said. If I hadn't been right next to her, I doubt I would've heard her airy voice.

"Of course we'll find more enemies. That's the idea." The girl looked at me, her lips puckered. I knelt and connected my gaze with hers. "Look, I know we've just met, but I need you to trust me. I know what I'm doing, but I need you to cooperate if we're going to get out of this alive. Do you think you can do that?"

With wide eyes, the girl nodded. I couldn't help but give a small smile at her serious expression.

The spiders were a few tree-lengths away now, and within moments they would overwhelm us.

"Alright." I held her hand firmly. "Don't stop running, not for anything, understand? Don't stop until you reach the other side. Are you ready?"

One of the spiders gave a loud hiss, making me jump. There was no time to waste.

"Go!"

The girl shot forward, easily pulling me along; I had to take awkward strides to keep up with her tiny legs. The clacking of shuffling spiders followed us as we avoided thorny trees and skirted spiky bushes.

_Persistent little monsters...well, let's see how they handle_ this.

The ground ahead was uneven and shifting, which could only mean one thing: tentacles.

"That's it!" I breathed. Tentacles were dangerous denizens of the swamp, and they would attack anything that came near them with a spike-covered tip. They would hide under the ground until something passed by, and fortunately for us there was a slight delay in their reflexes.

Passing over them quickly, I felt a rush of air hit my back as the tentacles shot from the ground, writhing. They thrashed the spiders in their tracks. I could hear a chorus of spitting growls as the spiders were tossed around like tennis balls.

I turned and saw that just about all the spiders were curled up in death or would soon be that way, and the only one left following was the queen. It would take more than tentacles to kill that monster off.

"What...now sir?" The girl was panting, her yellow hair matted against her forehead. Once she released my hand, it was hard to ignore the numbness in my fingers; they prickled as if tiny invisible spiders were dancing on my hands. The thought made me shiver.

"Don't stop running. Go...the end of the swamp is just...past that pond. I'll meet you on the other side." I gasped. I tried not to think about the double meaning of that last part.

Releasing her hand, I pointed in the general direction of my camp. She looked at me with eyes that were wide like an owl's; apparently I wasn't the only one who understood both meanings.

Her face was taut with concern. I could almost see the cogs turning in her mind.

"Alright sir. Goodbye for now." Her voice was careful, as if she was thinking about her word choice.

I didn't have time to be suspicious—the spider queen hissed in the distance, probably wanting with every fiber of her being to eat my face. It distracted me for a moment, and when I turned back to face the girl she was already gone. Good, one less thing to worry about.

Now that I was alone, my heart rate was on the rise. I hadn't realized how much the girl had calmed my nerves until she was gone. Now that I had to face the giant arachnid alone...well, the very thought made my insides freeze.

The spider approached on her stilt-like feet that ended in sharp blades—a single swipe and everything would be over. Her face, which was set low on her body, dripped saliva from her triangle shaped mouth and left a trail on the ground. I felt the blood drain from my face and clenched my spear tighter.

"Go for the eyes!" I shouted, lunging towards the spider's face.

* * *

><p>The man and the girl, destined to meet.<p>

Now staying alive will be a great feat.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - An Object in Motion

* * *

><p>With a battle cry, I took a running start and jabbed my spear at the spider queen's head. I wasn't actually aiming for her eyes, but by some miracle my spear its target. It plunged through one of the six eyes on the spider's head and stuck there with a squelch. I pulled back on the spear, but it refused to come back.<p>

_Oh, perfect._

The spider queen writhed, jerking her whole body backwards and taking me with it. My stomach hit the dirt with a thud, knocking the wind out of me. As I struggled to breath, my only thought was to hang on to the spear. Screeching, the spider flailed its legs and tossed its head in the air; the shaft tore away from my hands, and I fell on my side, disoriented.

I gasped as I felt a sharp pain rip through my leg. With a shuddering breath, my uninjured arm searched for the cause. My fingers probed the painful spot and came away wet. Although my head was feeling cloudy, I was coherent enough to process that I had been cut, probably by one of the spider queen's sharp appendages.

Rolling over, I took in the situation. The spider queen was too close for comfort. She had the shaft of the spear still stuck in her eye, but it was now broken and less obtrusive. With the eyes that were left, she glared at me and gave a low growl.

I took a breath. "Okay Higgsbury, think through your options."

_What do I have? My weapon is gone, and I'm bleeding all over the place. No bandages..._

I tried to get up, but the wound in my leg responded with a burning pain. I bit my lip until it bled—my spider bite was nothing compared to this. One thing was for certain: I wasn't going anywhere. Already I could feel my consciousness slipping; it was becoming more and more difficult to focus with every breath.

"Oh no, this won't do. I need you alive." A snarky voice said through the haze.

I gripped the axe in my pocket.

"Who said that?"

But there was no reply. All I got in return were the spitting sounds coming from the spider that was coming ever closer.

_Great, now I'm hearing things. The last thing I need is for my sanity to take a dive._

My thoughts were interrupted by a shrill scream.

"Death will find you!"

I recognized the voice this time.

Sure enough, a blur of pastel raced towards the spider queen with a spear in hand.

_What?! what is she thinking? I told her to run for a reason... and what is that?_

Following behind the girl was a figure, floating a few feet off the ground. If it wasn't for the glowing white aura, the person would've been a mirror image of the girl.

_Is that…? I've seen apparitions like that on the island before, but all of them have been hostile. How did she manage to get one to do her bidding?_

The girl and her friend lunged for the spider. The girl was like a rabbit, dodging between the spider's legs and stabbing it from underneath. Her mirror image did its own attacking, smacking with its bare hands wherever it could get at. The spider tried to retaliate, but it was in vain; every strike of its spear-appendages went right through it.

The spider gave a screech and the pair retreated. With a garbled moan, the spider collapsed, making a crater in the dirt with its fat body.

"Yes! Take that, foul creature." The girl gave the shimmering image a high-five.

I rolled over onto my side and struggled to sit up. Gripping my pounding head, I tried to focus on what was in front of me.

"Can someone explain... what just happened?"

"No. Be quiet." The girl was suddenly in front of me, gripping my arm with delicate hands and wrapping it with something that smelled like honey. Her blue eyes were focused intently on the task in front of her, handling the situation with deft movements beyond her years.

I was about to retort, but seeing as she just saved my life I held it back. Of all the things I wanted to ask, only one thing came out.

"I feel silly for not asking before, but what's your name?"

The girl paused in her task and looked at me. "My name is Wendy. I can forgive you for not asking before. We were being attacked by spiders, after all."

Despite the circumstances, I smiled.

"Thank you for saving me, Wendy. I'd probably be dead if it wasn't for you."

"Consider my debt to you repaid, then. I'd be dead as well if you hadn't come along."

Debt? I didn't know how to respond.

"Here, I'll take the rest of those." I said instead. Wendy handed over the rest of the bandages, and I proceeded to take care of my leg. Thankfully, the wound was only a graze, albeit a painful one.

"My name is Wilson, by the way. Wilson P. Higgsbury, but I'd prefer that you just call me Wilson."

"Alright, Mr. Wilson."

"Um, you don't have to_—_"

"_—_Oooh..." A faint voice whispered in my right ear, tickling it and interrupting my train of thought.

"Wah!" I rubbed my ear and scooted away from the noise. "What was that?"

"Abby, be nice. You don't want to scare him." Wendy said. The specter from before hovered next to Wendy, holding a hand over its mouth and giggling.

"Abby?" I asked, completely dumbfounded.

She sighed. "Yes, this is Abigail, my twin sister." Wendy motioned towards her white mirror image, and it waved.

"Is she...?"

"Dead? Yes. It seems she followed me to this place. I'm glad she did—I'd be so lonely without her." Abigail swooped in and hugged Wendy, who stood there as if nothing was happening, but she smiled faintly.

"A ghost?" Abigail looked up and blinked. I sucked in a breath. "I just want you to know that you offend me as a _scientist_."

Wendy opened her mouth, then closed it, thinking better of what she was going to say. Abigail frowned and pushed up her imaginary long sleeve, approaching me with a red face. How ghosts could turn any sort of color without flowing blood was beyond me.

"Abby, no! Let him be. We don't want to start anything nasty." Wendy stood in front of Abigail with her hands up as a meager defense. Abigail looked at Wendy and folded her arms, then turned away and gave a sniff of contempt.

"My my, fighting already? That's not a good sign." A silky voice interrupted. It was the same unfamiliar voice from the spider fight. The words seemed to be speaking in my mind, to my very core. I looked around, but could see no one.

"Over here, friends."

I swiveled to face the voice that now came from behind me. What greeted me was the last thing I was expecting.

A shadowy creature peered at us, similar to the other hallucinations that often plagued me whenever my sanity went awry. This one was familiar, as it was a hallucination that stayed at the edge of my vision, always watching, even when I was feeling relatively well. I'd spent long hours convincing myself that he wasn't there.

The creature sported tiny arms and an undersized snake-like body, with three horn things protruding from it's head, bent over like a horse's mane. It grinned at me with jagged teeth, shimmering in and out of existence—at some points it would appear as a solid creature, and other times the trees behind it would bleed through his blackness.

"I see you both survived the spider fight. I was getting worried." It said.

"Who are you?" Wendy asked.

I glanced at Wendy. "You can see it too?"

She nodded as if I had asked her if the sky was blue. Somehow, she was perfectly fine with the fact that there was a creature talking to her that should only exist in nightmares. At the moment, I couldn't tell who was more disturbing_—_the girl or the creature.

"Ah yes, how rude of me. My name is Mr. Skits." Said the shadow, bowing as best he could with his oddly shaped body. "And you are Wilson P. Higgsbury, the Gentleman Scientist," he said, nodding at me, "and Wendy the Bereaved. And it looks like that dead person is here too." At this, Abigail put her hands on her hips and glared.

"Who are you and what do you want?" I said, figuring I would just get right to the point. I'd seen some pretty strange things, and frankly I was losing my patience with it all. However, this creature was the creepiest and most fascinating thing I'd seen yet. If anything, this was validation that I wasn't crazy; if Wendy saw it too, then it couldn't be a hallucination, right?

Mr. Skits looked at me with pity.

"Oh dear. Here you are_—_trapped_—_and you don't even know who I am. You didn't think your friend Maxwell was really in charge, did you? How's someone who wears a suit like _that _supposed get anything done?"

"What does his suit have to do with_—_" Wendy began, but was cut off by the creature's sharp voice.

"_—_but to answer your question more fully, Mr. Higgsbury, I am but a simple bystander. I watch as you humans struggle to survive, and I do the only job I have: make sure that everything on this island runs smoothly." Mr. Skits scuttled towards me, his hands behind his back. "However, why I'm here and talking to you is a little more complicated. As you may have noticed, beings like myself don't converse with humans very often. This special occasion, and I have come to ask a favor."

Mr. Skits turned away to face the sun, which was rapidly approaching sunset.

_Favor? _I furrowed my brow.

"As a creature that lives on a different plane of existence from you humans, my kind watches from afar, indifferent if you live or die. Despite being powerful, there is something I need that I can't get myself_—_something that Maxwell has."

"What is it, and why do you want it?" Wendy asked. Mr. Skits smiled as if he knew she would ask that question.

"The object he carries is a book, which is filled with knowledge from ages past. I need the contents in the book, but as a creature that cannot exist as more than shadow in this world, I cannot take it from him. I need a human."

"Why should we trust you? Anything could be in that book." I said.

"In that book is not only information that could benefit me, but you as well. That book is the key to escaping this place."

My thoughts stopped in their tracks. Freedom? As in getting off this island and never coming back, able to go back to the real world kind of freedom?

"What's the catch?" Wendy said, halting my daydreams. I resisted the urge to glare at her.

"In order to get to Maxwell and ultimately the book, a dangerous journey is involved. It will require more smarts, more skill and more bravery than has ever been required of you before. However, since there are two of you, that will make things easier, and if you succeed, this terrible place will be nothing more than a memory."

I pressed my mouth into a thin line. As tempting as the shadow's offer sounded, this was exactly the kind of thinking that got me there in the first place. Last time when it came down to playing it safe or making the deal, I chose the latter. I've been regretting that decision ever since.

But what other chance at freedom was I going to get? It's not like I had any working escape plans. This could be the only way to ever be free of this place.

Mr. Skits manifested a piece of paper with a puff of smoke, and when he turned it over in his hands, I caught a glimpse of what looked like a map. "I know it's a lot to think about, so if freedom interests you, you can meet me at this location at dawn, no later." He marked a place on the map with one of his stubby fingers, leaving a burnt X. "If not, I'll get the message and look elsewhere for help."

He dropped the parchment at my feet. I stared at it, scared that it would run off if I made any sudden movements.

"While both of you have enemies here, I hope you'll realize that I'm not one of them." He said, looking at Wendy. "Dawn. No later."

And then, giving one last smirk in my direction, he scampered away and disappeared.

* * *

><p><em>A difficult decision, a choice at dawn.<em>

_Can our heroes afford to be wrong?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - The Door

* * *

><p>A fragile silence fell between us as we walked back to camp. The revelation weighed heavily on my mind, and I could only assume that Wendy's silence meant she felt likewise.<p>

I didn't question her when she followed me—once we saved each other's lives, I assumed there was an unspoken agreement between us that we would be sticking together.

It wasn't until we got back to camp, and the fire pit roared to life, that Wendy said something, her face sour.

"You've had a furious expression for a good hour now, Mr. Wilson. Please, speak what's on your mind."

I looked up at her with surprise. I was in the middle of removing my log suit, which was left in tatters from the previous excitement.

"I'm not angry. I'm just thinking about the situation. And don't called me Mister." I added, continuing to pick out pieces of bark from my sensitive bandages.

Wendy didn't look directly at me, but instead at the glimmering fire. The orange light gave her a ghostly look in the growing darkness.

"I've been thinking as well."

I gave her a pointed stare, but she didn't elaborate. Instead, she smiled faintly as Abigail "sat" down next to her and held her hand.

Reluctantly, I turned away to cook what little food we had. I had enough carrots for the both of us this time, but I wasn't sure how things would be handled in the long run. Had Wendy found plenty of food on her own, or had she been struggling? Her gaunt frame suggested the latter.

As I cooked the vegetables, I contemplated what Mr. Skits had said. The fact that the shadow creature had spoken at all was still mind-bending.

Was the shadow telling the truth about the book? Of that, I was fairly certain. However, the shadow never stated exactly why he needed the information from the book. The fact that he conveniently left that part out made me suspicious. What dark deeds did he have in mind that he didn't want us to know about?

I handed Wendy her portion of cooked carrots in a makeshift bowl. She grabbed it without looking at me, as if she was trying to avoid eye contact.

Night had fully descended now, closing a tight fist around us; I rubbed my arms at the sudden chill.

Finishing off the mushy contents of my own meal, I fixed Wendy with a hard stare.

"Do you want to take the shadow up on his offer?"

Wendy flinched, and the question hung in the air between us.

"Don't you?" She retorted, looking at me. I shifted uncomfortably under her penetrating stare.

"No, I don't. I don't know about you, but this sounds like the deal that got me here in the first place. It's too good to be true."

Wendy turned away and stared into the darkness. For someone that was so passive, she seemed awfully adamant about getting home. I sensed there was more that she wasn't letting on.

"How did you get here, anyway? I knew Maxwell was terrible, but to trap a child..." I had a hard time finishing my sentence, so instead I pressed my lips together into a thin line, trying not to think about it.

Wendy sighed. "I was asking for it. More than anything, I just wanted Abby back. And while it's great to be with her..." Wendy suddenly developed a guarded look and stared down at her hand, which held Abigail's. Sort of. "Anyway, it's not important. Getting home is what matters. I know the offer is coming from a shady source, no pun intended—"

The corners of my mouth twitched at this, but I managed to hold it back.

"—but what other choice do I have?"

"Hm, that's funny; you used the word _I_. Well Wendy, I'm afraid that the shadow specified that if we went on this journey at all, we would need to go together. I think we both need to be on board with the idea."

"No, he said it would make things easier. But if you're not willing to come with me, I'll do it myself."

I frowned at this. "You couldn't possibly survive on your own. You would've gotten mauled by spiders today if I hadn't—"

Quick as a flash, Wendy's wooden spoon was pressed up against my throat. In any other circumstances, I would've laughed at the blunt utensil, but the glint in Wendy's eye was murderous.

"Now you listen here, Sir. I am more than capable of surviving, and I will not let anything get in my way. Not you, not a spider queen, not Maxwell—no one." She pulled her spoon away, and I felt it was safe to swallow. "Besides," she said, holding her spoon in a matter-of-fact manner, "I have Abby to protect me."

Irritated, I gave Wendy a glare. "Fine. Don't listen to me. You can be determined and have your death wish, but don't expect me to come with you."

Something flashed across Wendy's face—I couldn't tell if it was hurt or uncertainty, but it was instantly replaced with a cool demeanor.

"Have it your way. I'll be taking this, since you don't need it." Wendy pulled out the map from one of the backpacks tossed on the ground and rolled the paper up neatly. I folded my arms and watched with a disgruntled frown as she built a torch with whatever materials she could find. In the back of my mind, I remembered my own personal map and the notes about the meeting place I scrawled on it, just in case something should happen to the original.

_Why on Earth would I need that? Wendy obviously has things under control._ I snapped at myself. Even as I thought it, I felt a twinge of regret. Wendy was a capable girl, but where she was going, according to Mr. Skits, was beyond anything either of us had encountered. What kind of person would let her face that by herself?

I hadn't realized that Wendy had already left until I looked up. Without so much as a word, she and Abigail had disappeared into the night.

"Wait, Wendy!" I scrambled for my hastily drawn map. Then, grabbing a ready-to-go torch, I plunged into the darkness.

Now that I was surrounded more closely by the shadows, I could feel them press against my meager light. It was like a thick blanket, attempting to smother any living thing in its embrace. Trying to ignore the taste of freezing air and pine trees, I searched for the glow of Wendy's torch.

I took another glance at the map.

_Now let's see. If I go past the line of trees, it should be near a clump of boulders..._

The lines of the map were becoming smudges. I held my torch closer, thinking it was the lighting, but it made no difference.

_Argh, why is it suddenly so hard to think straight?_ There was a heavy pounding in my head. I squinted, trying to cope.

_I just have to get past the trees._

I shook my head, which cleared it a little, and continued on.

A shrill scream cut through the air, catching me off guard and almost making me drop my torch.

"Wendy?" Without a doubt, it was her scream. My fingertips felt numb.

I sprinted towards the source of the noise with hundreds of horrible scenarios flashing through my mind. I knew Wendy wasn't type to scream over anything; in fact, she seemed at ease with the horrors of this place. Whatever had caused her to lose her calm demeanor would have to be... well, I didn't want to dwell on it.

I broke through the edge of the trees, only to find her huddled next to Abigail, who gave off just enough of a glow to see. Wendy was breathing hard, and a dead torch lay at her feet. When she saw me, she straightened her hair with shaking hands, going a little red in the face. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" I came closer with the torch and shared my light with her.

"I'm fine." She said, her voice still resonating in its normal, soft cadence. "The darkness consumed me, is all." Wendy frowned at the night around her, looking both frightened and fascinated.

"It _consumed_ you?"

Wendy didn't elaborate, simply nodding at my bewildered expression.

I blinked, remembering what I was going to say.

"Well... anyway, you'll pleased to know that I changed my mind. I'm coming with you. And by the way, you're going to get us both killed with that rush-into-the-darkness strategy of yours. I hope you know that."

For whatever reason, this made her grin. It was kind of creepy, but at the same time I couldn't resist returning it with a small smile of my own.

And then, like the ending of a nightmare, the darkness gradually receded as the light of dawn peeked over the horizon. For whatever reason, the dark was always quicker to leave than to arrive; within moments the brightness of the morning was in full swing.

Now that I could see everything in front of me, I noticed a large object sticking out of the ground not too far off, looking terribly out of place. I sucked in a breath, recognizing the familiar angles and hinges of the wooden monstrosity.

I laughed without humor.

"Oh, that's just great. Long time, no see."

Wendy looked up at me with confusion. I didn't bother meeting her gaze and tossed my newly dead torch behind me.

Within seconds, I felt a sharp pain as something nailed me in the back of the head.

"Ow, what the—" I rubbed my head and looked around for the thing that hit me. To my surprise, the torch that I had just tossed away lay at my feet dejectedly.

"Well, look who decided to show up." Said a familiar voice. I glared as Mr. Skits made his appearance, slithering into view. "I almost thought you wouldn't come."

"Yes, we're here now. Now if you would be so kind as to tell us what the next step is?" Said Wendy. Mr. Skits gave her an annoyed glance.

"Right. Well, if you're ready for it, the first step towards freedom is in front of you. Just pull the lever on that machine. But be forewarned: there's no going back."

I stiffened as memories flashed through my mind.

_Now, pull the switch._

My experience and curiosity waged a battle inside me. This couldn't happen again—I knew better than to be tricked twice, I hoped. But if I didn't at least try...

I walked up to the machine and rested a hand on the cold, metallic surface of the lever. Wendy nodded with encouragement, seeing my hesitation to pull it.

_Do it!_

I took a deep breath and yanked the lever. It fell into place with a clack, and the machine reacted, expanding and shifting into place until its wooden parts resembled a man's psychotic, grinning face—Maxwell.

I backed away from the machine and grabbed Wendy's hand. She looked up at me with a worried expression.

My ears popped, as if there was a sudden drop in air pressure. Without warning, I felt my breath being crushed out of me, as if a boa constrictor was binding my arms and legs. I gaped in horror, staring as a gigantic, shadowy black hand grabbed me. Any attempt to move was futile, and just like before, I felt utterly helpless. Wendy was suffering the same fate; in the giant's hand, she looked tiny and expendable, like a child's toy.

Then, with no more than few panicked breaths to protest, we were dragged through the doorway.

As soon as we passed through the wooden barrier, I started to lose my grip on reality. As the blackness consumed me, a brassy tune echoed in my ears. It was hard to tell if the obnoxious song came from somewhere far away, or if it was something my subconscious came up with as I succumbed to the shadow's power.

My thoughts slipped away, like nothing more than the remnants of a dream. Soon there was nothing but the strange melody, lilting in the void.

* * *

><p><em>The pieces are set, but who will win?<em>  
><em>The decisions are met, let the game begin.<em>


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - For Science

* * *

><p>Maxwell watched as the Gentleman Scientist and his creepy sidekick were dragged, kicking and screaming, through the adventure portal.<p>

_You don't see that every day. They're really getting desperate, aren't They?_

He couldn't help but chuckle at it all. It was terribly entertaining to watch Them work so hard. A pulsing, dark energy followed the two humans wherever they went; it was as if all the Shadows in the Void were looking at them from the corner of Their eyes, trying not to show interest, but failing.

_Persistent buggers. They must really hate me. Heh, took Them long enough, what with me trying my hardest to misbehave and all. I guess They didn't like it when I ruined Their plans the first time._

_The Shadow talking openly is new. To one of the pawns, at least. Interesting lie. I don't know what They're getting at, saying that the Codex is the key to freedom. Unless it's not a lie, and They know more than I do. They always seem to._

_Alright, I'll play your game. Nice first move, but now that it's my turn. Let's see how your pawns handle_ this.

((*))((*))((*))

My first seconds of consciousness were dominated by the voice of an old windbag.

"Oh, You found my portal did you? You'd think you would have learned your lesson by now. Hmm. Let's try something a little more challenging, shall we?"

Eyes snapping open, I sat up and looked for the source of the noise, but Maxwell had disappeared.

_Agh, good lord of science. My head._

I gripped my head as my vision competed with blackness. Biting my lip made the vertigo retreat, albeit only a little.

Blinking, I took in the gloomy atmosphere . Trees as black and crooked as my Aunt Matilda's hair towered over me, threatening to poke me with their jagged edges. I scooted away from them, but then worried that the soot colored ground was making a mark on my pants. I stood up and brushed myself off as memories fell back into place.

_There was music... and a machine. I pulled the lever, and I wasn't alone (for once)..._

Where was Wendy?

"Wendy?" I glanced around, but could see no one._ Did she not make it through?_

"Over here, Mr. Wilson." Sighed a voice.

A black shape cut through the gloom in front of me. The silhouette sported a box shaped head with horns and a skinny neck. It was all connected to a small body with skinny legs, and it moved haphazardly as it approached, like a demon a three-year-old could've conceived. If three-year-olds were the type to conceive demons.

As it stepped into the light, I breathed out when it wasn't a creature, but Wendy holding something tall and crooked.

Taking in the evil-looking thing in her hands, I cringed. "Wendy, what in the name of Isaac Newton is that?"

Wendy grinned. It wasn't the sincere grin you would get from other little girls when you compliment their hair bows—no, this was the kind of alarming smile that the Chesire cat would be wearing.

"A powerful device," she whispered, "imbued with demonic potential."

I looked the thing up and down, looking for it's so called "demonic potential". It consisted of a tall, crooked pole topped with what looked like a radio, much like the one I had back home. Every once in a while, it gave a low hum.

"It looks like a radio on a stick."

She puckered her mouth, a crease forming between her eyebrows—an _I'm trying to be patient with you_ kind of look.

"Well it is!" I gestured toward the thing indignantly.

"It's so much more than that. Can't you feel the energy radiating from it? I have a feeling that this is key to our survival." She smiled up at it, probably admiring its satanic attributes.

"Right. Anyway, do you have any idea where we are?"

Wendy gave me a concerned look and shook her head.

I walked past Wendy and tested the twisted branches. Thankfully, they weren't as menacing as they looked, and broke on contact. Pushing through the branches, Wendy followed in my wake until we reached the other side.

The stark sunlight came at my eyes like daggers. My instant reaction was to raise a hand to block it out. In doing so, I realized that it didn't hurt to move my arm anymore. I gave it a full rotation just to be sure, and smiled just how good it felt to put it to use again. In fact, my leg didn't have a trace of spider violence either—it was as if it had never happened.

_Interesting. And convenient._

The scene that lay before us didn't look out of the ordinary, or at least, not for this place. Butterflies flitted around the lush meadow, which was filled with trees and shrubberies of all kinds. Sunlight dappled the carrots and berry bushes that were scattered across the landscape. A bunny would poke its head out of the leaves every so often, sniffing the fragile air for food. It was a screaming picture of calm.

_On second thought, maybe this isn't so ordinary. Especially for this place._

Wendy had already begun collecting things. A crown of flowers adorned her head like some sort of nightmare princess as she laid waste to the environment, taking everything that had a use and putting it in her pockets.

"This is mine, and this is mine." She chanted as she moved from berry bush to berry bush. I followed in her wake, picking up anything she missed. As I walked, I put together a makeshift axe and paused to take down some trees, letting Wendy get ahead of me. Once I had a good supply of logs, I put my axe in my reality-bending pocket (I had stopped questioning their utter disregard for the laws of physics a long time ago) and looked around to see where Wendy had gotten off to.

I followed her trail of limp saplings and torn grass until I reached the end of the happy forest. Wendy walked a few feet ahead of me, collecting things with single-minded focus.

"You might wanna watch your step." I said. Wendy glared at me, pausing just before stepping into the boundaries of a swamp, as if miffed that I stopped her from meeting her demise.

"You don't need to worry about me, Mr. Wilson. I'm—"

Before Wendy could finish her sentence, a tentacle shot from the ground. If it wasn't for her reflexes, she would've been a shish-kabob, because the tentacle lashed at her, its motion a blur, with an audible _whoosh_. She ducked, narrowly missing a decapitation. I felt like I was moving in slow motion as I grabbed her arm, yanking her back to safety.

As soon as the tentacle settled back into the mud, she pressed her mouth into a hard line.

"Alright, you can let go now." She shook me off, her voice fighting to stay steady. Wendy hugged the radio stick and stared at where the tentacle once was, looking especially grim.

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine." She said, holding statue-still to get her shaking under control. Taking a deep breath, Wendy let a serious adult mask dominate her face.

I watched the transformation, my heart slowing down.

_What is she playing at?_

"Wendy, you don't need to do that."

She looked up sharply. "Do what?"

"It's normal to be scared after a near-death experience. That thing nearly—"

"—panicking will get us nowhere, Mr. Wilson. Take care to remember that." Her voice was curt.

I gritted my teeth as I felt my face heat up.

"Me? Panic? Don't be absurd. Despite what you may think, my concerns are valid. If we're going to survive this, you need to listen to me."

_Hypocrite. Hypocrite. Hypocrite._ Danced a jeering voice in my head.

Wendy narrowed her eyes, seeming to sense my unease.

"Says the man who almost got eaten by spiders."

"Says the man who saved you from getting eaten by spiders." I retorted.

There was a scowling contest between us. Her intense, calculating eyes were hard to compete with, but I refused to back down.

We were interrupted by a chorus of hissing as sunset arrived and bathed us in an orange light. Only now did I notice the hundreds of spider dens littering the swamp, all varying in size. With the harsh light gone, the black fuzz balls with legs roamed, looking for food. A nearby spider eyed us hungrily, its fangs looking especially pointy.

"We should go deeper into the forest." I said. Suddenly, there were more important things our argument. Turning back to leave, I expected Wendy to follow me. I'd gone into the forest for a few paces before I realized that she wasn't behind me.

I turned around, only to see her crouched at the forest's edge, poking at something. Sighing, I came up behind her and saw that she was feeling inside a gaping hole in the ground—and it wasn't just any hole, but a breathing hole with rows of teeth.

I'd encountered holes like this before, but I had never dared to touch one. Yet.

"What do you suppose it is?" Wendy asked.

Time crunch forgotten, I knelt next to her, feeling the edges of the creature's mouth. It was as if the surrounding dirt and fleshy mouth were one creature. It undulated in a relaxed manner, not reacting in the slightest to my prodding fingers.

"I don't know. It doesn't seem to mind being touched."

"It opened its mouth when I came near, almost as if it was expecting me to do something."

"Interesting..."

_Maybe this thing is here for a reason. Everything in this world has a use. What is_ this_ thing's use?_

Wrinkling my nose at the sour smell, I peeked down the monster's throat and noticed that it was roomy enough to fit a person, should they wish to slide down its gullet.

_Why would I want to let it eat me? That's insane._

_Or is it?_

Curiosity and concern for my well-being battled each other. On the one hand, I could be eaten by a disgusting creature. On the other, I could discover something, for science, and learn something helpful for our continuing survival. Decisions, decisions.

"Science compels me to jump in." Curiosity won.

Wendy looked at me as if I had mentioned the weather.

_Oh, so when I actually state a crazy idea, she doesn't even blink. That's kind of refreshing, though._

Maybe I was so used to people telling me my ideas were crazy, it threw me off when it didn't happen.

"Life doesn't always make sense." She said, answering my thoughts.

"I suppose..." I said, mulling over the thought. I _liked_ it when life made sense. That was the thing with this place, though: nothing made sense. "Well, all right. I'll go first, and if it eats me... well... it was nice knowing you, even though our time was brief."

With a grimace, I slid my legs into the warmth of the hole. A rush of air came regularly in and out, reminding me of a person's breath. And then, with one last uncertain look at Wendy, I let go of my handholds and dropped into the darkness.

_Agh! Ew, this is more than I bargained for._

I squeezed my eyes shut as slime covered me from head to toe. The more I thought about where I was, the more nauseated I felt. The path twisted and turned blindly, reminding me of intestines. I didn't dare breath in, for fear that I would get a mouthful of worm saliva. My lungs started to burn.

_This was a stupid idea. Why did I want to do this? Curse the beckoning call of science._

Just when I thought my lungs were going to shrivel up and die, I felt the lower half of my body go cold. The coldness spread to the rest of my body as it was exposed to open air, with my head coming out last.

Coughing, I breathed the clean air, slime dripping from my hair into my eyes.

_Well, at least I'm not dead._ I thought, wiping the slime away.

I looked up, the smell of a barn wafting over me. The scenery had completely changed. What was once forest and swamp was now nothing but plains. The golden grass waved in the faint wind, reflecting the amber light of sunset. It would've been an almost romantic setting, had it not been for the smelly animals that lived there.

The animals, which I had dubbed _beefalo_ a while back, were everywhere. They were rather large, about the size of a yak, with large horns jutting out from their head, and a long shaggy coat that reminded me of a rug. A drab brown rug. Every once in a while, a moaning sound would come from their dopey faces, always reassuring any living thing within range of their presence.

A sucking sound came from the living hole. Within seconds Wendy was regurgitated onto the ground.

"I emerge into this world once more." She said, looking up at the sky in a daze.

I stood up and offered Wendy a hand, which she promptly ignored, and sat up herself.

"So, those worm-creatures were meant for travel all along. Where has it taken us?"

"I'm not totally sure. But your demon device seems to like it."

The radio by Wendy's side was now emitting a higher pitched sound, as if it was getting excited.

But before we could guess at what it meant, the air temperature plummeted. With a start, I noticed that the light was fading. Fast.

Sensing danger, Wendy handed me a clump of grass. I nodded my thanks and retrieved some logs. Within minutes, a fire came to life, saving us from the darkness just before it became complete.

"That was close." I whispered. Wendy nodded. I'd never been in complete blackness for long, but I had always sensed that there was something there, like a panther in a cage, waiting patiently for its prey to stick a naïve hand through the bars. I didn't plan on finding out what it was.

Wendy eyed the darkness with a strange glint in her eye—fascination? The expression on her face was similar to that of a child who pokes a rattlesnake with a stick, just to see it hiss. Even more disturbing than that, I recognized that wonder-filled expression; it was the same expression I wore whenever the mysteries of the universe presented themselves.

The thought made me laugh silently. I was the cat curiosity killed, but this cat happened to actually have nine lives, which it continued to squander by making the same stupid mistakes.

While I was reflecting, Wendy had brandished the food hiding in her spatially-problematic pockets. She handed me a handful of carrots, which I proceeded to slide onto a stick to roast. I stared at the glowing orange flames as they barely licked the carrots, the sound of the rod letting out its pulsing whir in the background, like the countdown of a timer.

"I don't know what that rod is sensing, but it must be close by." I said. It was almost as if I hadn't said it out loud, because Wendy was deathly silent; it was a bit like talking to a statue. She was looking at the the rod with the scrutiny of a surgeon, neglecting her carrots and letting them droop into the fiery inferno. I could almost hear them scream as smoke snaked up their vegetable bodies.

"It senses the approaching wickedness." Wendy said ominously. Apparently she had been listening after all.

It was a good thing she wasn't looking at me, because I rolled my eyes. I was starting to notice a trend with her: dark and depressing. Her entire character was devoted to being a little rain cloud of pessimism. Why she acted this way, I didn't know, but her adult look of sadness was unnatural. She was too young to be that sad.

Something Mr. Skits had said earlier dawned on me. He had called Wendy (I)the bereaved, as if it were a title. I knew her sister was dead, and that grief was natural, but to be truly bereaved, you would have to lose the thing you loved most in the world. Perhaps Wendy and Abigail's relationship went deeper than I'd realized. Either that, or there was more than one reason for her dourness.

I bumped her carrots out of the flames with my stick before they got too singed. Wendy's attention snapped back to her food, which was certainly done cooking. We ate in silence. The warmth of the carrots settling in my stomach was a small comfort.

The pink clouds on the horizon heralded dawn, and within minutes it was as if the darkness had never existed. I blinked, adjusting to the rapid light change.

The light of day revealed a few things about our location that I hadn't seen in the hurry last night.

For one, there was nothing, aside from beefalo, blocking our view of the place, and the plains didn't go on forever. The ocean surrounded us on all sides, making a small island. The worm-like hole—wormhole—we traveled through yesterday appeared to be the only way on or off the island.

But then a cold feeling settled in limbs when I saw that it wasn't the only way off the island. It was one of four.

There were four wormholes within a few meters of each other, all pulsing and indistinguishable from one another.

_This must mean that there are other islands. What could be on them, I wonder?_

I was about to ask Wendy's opinion when I noticed that she was no longer by my side.

_She needs to stop doing that._

Wendy was easy to spot. She was hiding behind a clump of grass, the whirring rod in hand, looking at a landscape that looked like stone ruins.

I came up behind Wendy as silently as I could manage.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. As soon as the words left my mouth, something metal that had been lying on the ground perked up, looking straight at me. I froze, locking eyes with the mechanical beast.

It had a vaguely horse-shaped face, with a simple round body and two stubby legs. Metal plating covered its surface, with a break in the middle for a flexible accordion joint.

The thing wasn't alone, either. There was another one like it, and two other robots that were slightly taller and more aggressive-looking.

These ones had a single, large, unblinking eye that was focused selectively on us. The top part of their heads housed a light bulb, which looked rather like a hat. They were themed more like insects, with pincers for mouths and a hard slanted casing that looked like a cross between a cloak and folded wings.

The clockwork creatures kept to the stony ground, which had a checkerboard pattern. Prickly-looking flowers, broken statues, and other things made of marble stuck out of the ground in odd places, making the place look like a garden of nightmares. In the center sat a wooden object, covered in red runes and shaped like a doughnut.

The robots weren't fooled by our attempt to hide; their eyes followed us like cats guarding their favorite toy. I could only imagine what they would do if we got too close.

I stared at the mechanized anomaly closest to us, speechless. As its interest faded in me, it hopped to and fro, as if keeping guard.

The rod was going ballistic, the frequency now going into heart attack mode. A triumphant smile spread across Wendy's face, melting over her usually cold expression.

"This thing, this machine—it changes it's pitch in response to location. In response to energy hotspots, like this." She motioned towards the stony garden with barely contained excitement. "It's a divining rod."

* * *

><p>Four pathways to take,<br>The game has begun.  
>If friends they forsake,<br>The game will be done.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Team of One

* * *

><p>I marched back to the four wormholes, pulling a brooding Wendy along with me. She hardly seemed to notice as I tugged on her free hand; she had the divining rod close to her ear and a vacant look on her face.<p>

"We have a death detector. Great." I laid on the sarcasm as if it was butter on toast. The words sounded kind of pessimistic now that they were out, but sometimes I couldn't help it.

Reaching the wormholes, Wendy tugged her arm free. She glared at me and held the divining rod in both hands, probably thinking of beating me with it like a baseball bat. I gave her my best grimace.

"Don't look at me like that, I'm just not anxious to follow that thing. You know where it came from. Nothing here has our best interests in mind—I don't care what that shadow creature thing said. If we want to get out of here, we need a plan before we go playing into Maxwell's hands. He knows we're here, and he'll probably try to stop us from getting to him. I can't imagine he's keen on having his book taken."

Wendy's clear blue eyes gave me an appraising look, then flickered to the wormholes, tension slowly leaking out of her like a hot-air balloon.

"I understand," she said quietly, "I don't want to play into Maxwell's hands either, but our choices are limited. This will help us get to wherever he resides, as I don't think we have all the pieces of the puzzle yet." Wendy looked down at her interlocked fingers, gripping the divining rod as if she was choking it. "I'll do whatever it takes to be liberated, even if it means playing by his rules."

The sound of solid determination coming from such a small frame pricked at my resolve. I let out a long breath.

_I'll do whatever it takes..._

The words, eerily familiar, circled in my memory. It was interesting how Wendy and I were sometimes so similar, then drastically different again before we could focus on it too long. The phrase threatened to bring something up—something I didn't want to remember. I bit my lip. There was no need to think about that—not now. It didn't matter to me anymore.

Wendy's eyes were medical instruments, taking in my sudden silence and trying to dissect it. I smoothed my face out. I wasn't giving in that easily. If she insisted on keeping secrets, so would I.

"Alright," I said, leaving those thoughts behind, "what would you suggest?"

Whatever Wendy was thinking about was dropped when I said those words. Giving a triumphant smile, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled handkerchief, as well as a piece of charcoal that was probably scavenged from last night's fire.

Without a word, she started to sketch. She drew two blobs, labeling one _start island_. Her charcoal paused above the other blob, and she looked up at me with a quizzical look.

"What would you call this island?"

That wasn't hard. "Beefalo island."

"Beefalo?"

"Er, yes." I said, suddenly interested in the swaying grass. "That's what I've been calling them." I motioned with one hand towards the smelly walking carpets that were chewing grass a ways off.

Wendy's mouth quivered, the corners of her mouth fighting their way up while the rest if her face was set in its same grim demeanor. If I didn't know better, I would say that she was trying not to smile.

"Uh, okay then," she said, giving a small cough, "Beefalo Island."

Even though the charcoal was crumbling and the opposite of a pencil in shape, Wendy still managed delicate looping handwriting. She continued to add to the map, giving _beefalo_ _island_ four small circles and one larger one.

"We already know where this leads," she said, drawing an arrow and a label above the first wormhole, "so now we just need to try the other four, and then follow the divining rod until we find whatever else it is we're supposed to find."

I nodded, trying not to look too concerned.

"Right. Sounds easy." Although I was sure that it would be anything but easy. This was Maxwell's world, and in a psychopath's world, anything could happen.

Wendy nodded and rolled up the handkerchief map, handing it to me.

"Marking where we've been would be most helpful. Try to keep up."

With that, Wendy prodded the nearest wormhole, which opened with a sucking sound. She didn't acknowledge me as she slid her legs in, keeping the diving rod close in her arms. There was a slurping sound, and then she was gone.

_Try to keep up? Okay then, I guess Wendy's in charge now._

With a frown, I crouched at the edge of the wormhole and hung my legs over the opening. I took a few breaths as if I was preparing to jump into a pool of icy water. Taking one last deep breath, I let go.

As I was sucked through the creature, I tried not to think of a monster's throat. Within moments, the wormhole spat me up with a long, hacking sound. It was hard not to imagine my old cat, Cinders. The sound was almost identical to him coughing up gigantic, black hairballs onto the sofa.

I stood up as soon as it let me go and shuddered. The chill was immediate, washing over me and settling in my bones. Having a thin coating of slime didn't help my insulation, either. I rubbed my hands together, taking in the dark scenery.

This island was covered in forest and pale white earth. I took a bit of it in my fingers and rubbed it together, which didn't work very well because it clung to me like cotton candy. Something inside me gave a little jump when I realized what it was.

_It just had to be spiders._

The webs were everywhere—so many that it was difficult to see the ground underneath. Thick white spiderwebs wove through the trees, over rocks, and surrounded my small wormhole haven.

A low hum sounded from the trees. It was slightly higher pitched than I remembered, but still recognizable.

"Wendy, don't wander off too far. I'm the one with the axe, remember?"

"My miserable burden would be lighter if you could keep up." Said Wendy, emerging from the dark forest with an exasperated expression.  
><em><br>Miserable burden? Does she mean the divining rod or... living in general?_

It was true, Wendy seem to care about anything, but I was still reluctant to believe that she hated _everything,_ including her life.

_No, she doesn't hate everything. She cares about her sister, at least._

I made my way over to her, peeling my feet from the ground with each step.

"Lead the way. I'll cover you."

Wendy nodded and started ahead, her ear tilted towards the divining rod.

Cottony strands hanging from the pine trees blew in the slight wind, and they floated like pale ghosts against the dark, gaping maw of the forest. I looked down and realized that my feet were making pretty good impressions on the wispy white carpet. Just trying to tear away my feet to walk forward was a chore; it was like trying to traverse chewing gum. There were only a few brown patches of untouched earth every so often, offering a small respite from the stickiness.

Despite the webs, the forest was quiet. I pulled the axe from my pocket and held it at the ready, all the while listening for that familiar hissing sound. Once or twice, a bird chirping would make me jump. Even though Wendy wasn't looking at me, I could imagine she was rolling her eyes eyes as I scanned the forest, paranoid.

With every step we took, the divining rod sounded more hopeful. I could only guess at what we would find.

"The shadows feel especially thick in this area, as if there are things hidden here that should never come to light." Wendy murmured.

I nodded even though she wasn't looking at me. "Thanks for that Wendy. I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it."

Something moved in the darkness ahead. My focus went on overdrive and I froze in my tracks. As Wendy trudged on, I watched the space ahead. Everything was silent except for the hum of the divining rod.

The shadowy thing flashed into view again—there was a tail, and toothy two-dimensional grin. It was just for a fraction of a second, but it was enough to get an idea of what it was.

_Mr. Skits?_

The shadow had been hazy, almost indistinguishable from his surroundings. He came into view again, watching us for a moment, then took off ahead deeper into the forest.

"Mr. Wilson, if you haven't died on your feet, I would suggest you keep up." Wendy called back at me.

"Did you see that?"

"See what? What are you looking at?" Wendy glanced around, her head swiveling. I opened my mouth, then closed it again.

"Nothing. Let's keep going."

I joined Wendy again and passed the area where the shadow had been hiding, but I could see no trace of him.

_Did Wendy really not see him? She seemed sincere enough. Am I just seeing things, or was he really just here? And if I did actually see him, why didn't he say something? A little explanation would be nice.  
><em>  
>I gathered a breath and let it out slowly. There were too many questions, and not enough answers. Ever since I pulled that lever, I had had a growing feeling of dread that I'd made the wrong decision. I didn't know what Mr. Skits wanted with the information in Maxwell's book. As a being of this world, what information could he possibly need that he didn't already know? And if the book was the key to freedom... it could be possible, but it still seemed to good to be true. I didn't trust Mr. Skits. He seemed like the type that would only help someone if it benefited himself.<p>

Something wasn't adding up. Maybe there was something else. What if Mr. Skits wanted freedom as well? But that didn't make sense either. Why would he want to escape his own world?

Lost in thought, a string of silk I didn't see caught my leg, making me lose my balance. I grabbed the branch of a tree to steady myself, but in doing so made the entire thing shudder. The webbing rippled, sending waves of kinetic energy everywhere. A gargling hiss made me stop in my tracks. Behind me, I could hear the clacking of arachnid legs.

I hadn't been careful enough. I knew these spiders relied on their webs to sense when creatures were nearby—why would that change now? They could probably feel the weight of easy prey in their little spider network.

Taking Wendy by the arm, I hopped onto a patch of brown space next to a boulder.

"Let go of me!" Wendy shouted, trying to twist out of my grasp. "I was listening to an important pitch change. Wha—"

I clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shhh!" I hissed, trying to convey all of my frustration with a single sound.

I sank lower behind the boulder and Wendy followed my example, seeming to sense the danger. Together we scanned the area.

The fur balls with teeth roamed, low-hanging tree branches whipping back and forth as they searched through the undergrowth. We watched their progress as they made their way to the place I disturbed the webbing. One of the spiders spat a hiss and I resisted the urge to jump—it sounded like it was just on the other side of our hiding place.

_We're not here. Please, for the love of all that is good, go back to your dens._

Eventually, the clicking became more distant. They probably went back to their dens, wherever they were lurking in the shadows.

Sweat was starting to bead on my forehead. That was close. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a scuffle. If one of their own was injured, spiders had a nasty habit of gaining up on whatever had caused it.

I gave a dry swallow and stood, helping Wendy to her feet. She avoided looking at me, and instead turned all her attention to the divining rod. It was humming much faster now. Whatever the thing was that we were looking for, it was close by.

"Watch your step." I whispered with a shaky laugh. Wendy nodded, gripping the divining rod like a crutch.

Both Wendy and I were more focused on where we were stepping this time. We rushed from clear spot to clear spot, all the while following the hums of the demon device.

I was beginning to wonder just how big the island was when a flood of light coming from a break in the looming pines appeared. As Wendy stepped into the clearing, the rod went berserk. It almost seemed to drag her along in its quest to the center, where a peculiar patch of ground sat.

The patch of ground was home to several different plants. I sighed with relief when I spotted several carrots poking out of the ground—probably the first and last time I would ever be so happy to see vegetables. Grass tufts and small saplings waved in the gentle wind as if to say hello. I put my axe away and went to work pocketing resources.

There were a few darker squares of dirt that looked significant, with a stick fence of sorts to mark their place. I felt the wet earth with the palm of my hand.  
><em><br>If I had to guess, I would say these are farm plots. Right in the middle of spider territory. Why would someone... __Wait, what is that?_

In the center of the oasis, sitting peacefully on a stony plod of earth, was a round metal object. It was lumpy, dull in color, and looked suspiciously like a potato. Or at least the kinds of potatoes that were held together by welded metal and bolts.

When Wendy picked it up, the divining rod fell silent. She stared at the metal potato as if she was trying to unlock its secrets with her mind.

I plucked the thing from her hands, earning me a glare, and turned it over, looking at it from all sides. Putting an ear up to it, I rapped it with my knuckles. All it gave was a thick metal clanking sound. If it had a secret function, it was well hidden.

"Strange. It doesn't look nearly as diabolical as I was expecting. Maybe it has a secret button or something." I said.

As soon as the words left my mouth, the red light of dusk settled over the clearing. A rumbling sound emanated from the forest, as if hundreds of hisses were overlapping to create an ocean of horrifying noise.

Wendy's eyes widened, and she looked at me with an expression that said _oh no_.

_Time's up._

Holding the metal potato in one arm like a football, I took Wendy's free hand. "We need to get back to the wormhole. Now."

The black forms of spiders were beginning to appear at the edge of the clearing, popping up one at a time and quickly gathering in strength. There were at least ten of them, and they were all staring at us like dinner with their mouths agape. I watched as gooey saliva dripped out of the mouth of the one closest to us.

Just the amount of spiders surrounding the clearing was staggering. I didn't want to think about the rest of the island.

A few horrible moments passed where the spiders eyed, predator and prey, each side waiting for the other to make a move. If the spiders had been better at cooperating, they would know that they had us surrounded and nothing was stopping them from going for the kill.

Wendy was looking stiff, as if she was made from a material other than flesh and blood. I caught her eye, and she looked at me with questioning, vulnerable eyes.

"Stay close to me," I told her, taking her hand, "we're getting back to that wormhole."

Just then, the spider mass encircling the clearing shifted. A few on my left had gotten impatient, and they were headed towards us, gargling and snapping their teeth.

I saw my chance and darted to the right, pulling Wendy with me. Thankfully, she seemed to sense what I was going to do and ran in the same direction.

The spiders nipped at our heels, but I skirted around them and headed for the gap that they left open. As soon as we cleared the gap, several spiders hissed their displeasure.

_Hah! I'm not getting caught that easily._

My moment of triumph was short lived. Spiders were beginning to appear at every turn. Their eerie white eyes peeked out around tree trunks and boulders, following every step we took through the sticky undergrowth.

As I passed the boulder that was our earlier hiding spot, a spider darted out from behind it. The waist-high spider gave a sputtering roar, and I managed to stop just as it snapped its fangs. The bite was so close that I could feel the spider's hot breath paint me with condensation. I backpedaled, and as I did so Wendy let go of my hand.

She stumbled and backed up against a cluster of trees. As soon as she did, several hisses spat at her from the darkness of the tree cover. Just as Wendy got her footing, three spiders emerged from the cover of darkness and came at her. She took off running in the direction of the wormhole without looking back.

_Wendy, wait! Come back!_

I opened my mouth, a cold weight rolling into my stomach, but no words would come out. Two more spiders emerged from the shadows and joined the one that was advancing on me. I backed up with quick, jerky steps until I felt the cold boulder behind me.

Pulling the axe from my pocket, I stared down the spiders. They were closing in with looks of triumph in their eyes. Maybe they had seen prey in this sort of position before, and the routine was all too familiar to them. Back against a wall, nowhere to go, and paralyzed with fear.

The lead spider came at me with surprising speed. I lunged to the side and gave it a passing blow with my axe. The sharp side only clipped it, but it left a considerable amount of purple blood on my axe and all over the spider's face. The companion spiders growled with surprise, and the lead spider bared its teeth as if to say, _you're going to regret that_. I took off into the forest, not waiting to find out what the spider was going to do.

As I sprinted through the undergrowth, my panic rose as I tried to figure out which way led back to the wormhole. All the web-covered trees looked the same, and the cobwebs hanging from the trees turned into death traps as strands caught around my arms and legs. I hacked at the cords with my free hand, the hissing behind me growing steadily. I took a few slow breaths and used the axe like a knife, cutting the strands that were impeding my movement.

_Focus. I'm not dying today. Not here._

The strands snapped, and I broke away into a clearer section of the wood. My insides did a little flip flop when I spotted the pulsating mouth of the wormhole. I ran and jumped into it, barely giving it time to open. I could hear the snap of spider jaws as the wormhole closed around my head.

_That was way too close. I should've kept a closer watch on time. We could've been..._

An icy arrow hit my stomach. Wendy. I hadn't even thought twice before I jumped in. Where did she run to? I hadn't seen her anywhere. Did she make it out before me, or was she still on that island, fighting for her life?

When the wormhole released me, I rolled onto the golden grass of _beefalo island_ and dug my fingers into the dirt. It was impossible to stop my shaking. The bulge of the lumpy metal object by my side was reassuring, albeit only slightly.

I got up and scanned the area, looking for any sign of her. When I couldn't find anything out of place around the wormhole, I went to where we last camped. The place was deserted, with only a black spot marking last night's fire. The blood drained from my face.

_She must still be there. Where else could she be?_

I dropped the potato and started to pace. _I should go back now, but it's nearly night. If the spiders don't kill me, running around in the dark will. Already I'm cutting it close._ I thought, observing the fading light.

Gritting my teeth, I kicked the metal potato. It made a heavy _dinging_ sound as it sailed a few yards off. It was only when my toes started aching that I remembered the thing was made of metal.

_Agh! It's her own fault. None of this would've happened if she had just listened to me._

I paused in thought and stared at the slow moving clouds on the horizon. There was a dark, jagged line where the sky met the edge of what was probably the spider island.

_Of course, this also wouldn't have happened if I had thought to find her._

The heat left my face. Sighing, I went to where I kicked the potato thing. My sudden attack had left a little dirt smear on its side, but it was barely noticeable on the patchwork metal surface.

With ringing ears, I put together a fire with my meager supplies. What supplies did I leave Wendy with? I knew I had most of the logs. Could she even survive the night?

_Just hold on Wendy. Just for tonight._ I thought as the fire grew.

I revisited those panicked moments just before Wendy and I were separated. I had seen her run in the direction of the wormhole. Why had I assumed she had known where she was going? I had gotten turned around in the forest. It was only luck that I made it out at all. How had she fared on her own, and with spiders on her tail?

Grimacing, I rubbed my eyes. Constantly running from danger was starting to take its toll. Exhaustion clouded my thoughts, but I couldn't relax, so I contented myself to cooking a few carrots on a stick. Sleeplessness was sort of the norm for me anyway.

When the cold light of dawn washed over the fields, I re-entered the spider island wormhole with a numb feeling inside.

Upon arriving, I soaked in the familiar environment. It looked the same as it had the day before; the webs hanging from the trees still swayed in the slight wind, and the deeper parts of the forest were as dark as ever.

I crouched and analyzed the ground. They were almost impossible to see, but footprints marked the white carpet, almost like indents in sand but with feathery bits that showed where the webbing was torn. Two sets of footprints overlapped and pointed away from the wormhole, and only one set came back.

I followed my most recent footprints back to the large boulder, where I found the start of Wendy's smaller tracks. They looked as though they went in the right direction at first, but as they snaked through the trees they lost their original angle and headed off crookedly.

Swallowing, I followed the tracks into new territory. It looked as though she lost the original group of spiders that were following her, but there were one or two instances where there was a thick gash in the webbing, as if something had slashed it.

And then, up ahead, the tracks stopped, and the feeling in my stomach settled into nausea.

Something up ahead caught my attention. It was pulsing and round, and looked as though it was a living thing connected with the earth. Another wormhole.

_Just how many of these things are there?_

I peered around it for a clue, but what I found made me wince. A few speckles of dried blood surrounded the opening, and a smeared red handprint decorated the outside lip, as if the owner had been dragged inside.

* * *

><p><em>The pieces of four they need to find,<em>  
><em>But creatures they meet will not be kind.<em>  
><em>One has the map, the other the rod,<em>  
><em>Old wounds must be prodded,<em>  
><em>Or their plan will be flawed.<em>


End file.
